by Ossandra White

As creatives, there are lots of things that stop us from…creating. There are physical reasons, like fatigue, sickness, chronic illness, pain, discomfort, eye strain, and other such issues that hinder our bodies from actually doing the thing. There are situational constraints, such as busy schedules, other obligations, or simply the day’s 24-hour limit.

But sometimes, even when we are feeling our best and have cleared our schedules, we sit down to write and something still stops us. What if we could get down to the very root and core of it all, pinpointing the exact reasons why we are stopped so that we can correctly diagnose a solution? This article may help you get started towards doing just that. I can’t cover everything, but I can try to walk you through some of the things that you can do to step closer towards identifying the things that stop you and figuring out what to do about them.

Self-Assessment

If you are attempting to be productive and you just don’t feel right, try stopping, closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, and checking in with yourself. Create a go-to list of questions to ask yourself when you feel unsettled and actually answer honestly. You often must admit there is a problem before you can treat it.

• Am I feeling pain or discomfort anywhere in my body?
• How long have I been staring at a screen?
• Am I unintentionally holding my breath?
• Is there any stressful situation happening in my life that my soul is troubled about?
• When was the last time I…
  • …ate a meal?
  • …drank water?
  • …went to the restroom?
  • …got sleep?
  • …did something I enjoyed that had nothing to do with work?
  • …stretched?
  • …got fresh air?
  • …took a moment to appreciate nature?

You may already know other triggers that cause you to feel strange. Place those on your list as well.

Different Barriers

Once you’ve checked in, you’re likely to know what you’re facing. Physical, mental, and even spiritual barriers exist. Sometimes, all three types at once. Not all problems can be solved, but knowing the reasoning behind our blocks typically helps us put things into perspective and give ourselves grace. 

Cramping and Stiffness

Stretching regularly is good when we sit at our desks and hunch over screens all day. Roll your neck and shoulders. Flex your fingers and wrists. Come away from your workstation. Bend and move around. Sometimes, being locked in one position for too long can cause our brains to be locked as well. If it helps, set an interval timer to remind you.

Eye Strain

Staring at a screen for too long can have us seeing stars! Take some time to look away. Close your eyes and place your palms over them. Count and think of something pleasant. Go look at something else, like art or nature. Admire things in your environment. Take a moment to appreciate the beauty in the mundane. Look at something without the intention of working on it. 

Deprivation of Nature

Studies have shown that most humans feel better when exposed to sunlight and fresh air. Though people have created these little industrial domes powered by electricity and cutting ourselves off from the world, it can actually do some good to ‘touch grass’, as the kiddos say these days. If you can’t go outside, open a window, or at least look out of one. If you have any house plants, tend to them. If you have pets or other humans, spend some time with them. Even if you can’t access real nature, try looking up nature ambience on YouTube. You may find calm in the sound of wind, rain, or birdsong.

Lack of Sleep

There are only twenty-four hours in the day, and it seems strange to spend so much of them sleeping. But sleep is important! Our brains need rest! Sometimes, we are rushing around and trying to do so much that we neglect ourselves. This, in turn, makes things more difficult for us.

I often push myself for days on end without rest. It may seem that busy and productive people have to power through like this, but sometimes, when we take care of ourselves, the load becomes lighter and easier. Once, I was staring at a page with a sleep-deprived brain. I couldn’t make it work until I fell asleep unawares and woke up with fresh perspective. Things that seemed so difficult in the darkness of night suddenly seemed almost comically laughable in the morning light.

Ignoring Doctor’s Orders

I know some rules are annoying, but regimens from medical professionals usually have our own best interests in mind. When we’re sick or have a chronic illness, it is important to adhere to what our healthcare providers suggest. Avoiding short-term aggravations could be costing us in the long run.

Indecisiveness

Analysis paralysis. So many options stand before us that we freeze up. In these cases, we can postpone choosing by focusing on something else, ask others what they think, or even leave it to chance and roll a die or something. This, of course, depends on how high the stakes are. I’d think twice about a crucial life decision, but might spin a wheel to settle on what color a character in my story is wearing.

Negative Self-Talk

Many of us can stand up to the criticism of others. However, when the call is coming from inside the house, it may be more of a problem. Often, it can help to combat lies with truth. For every negative thing your mind thinks, declare a positive thing back at it.

Lack of Focus

When we strain our brains with work for too long, they often start wandering away on their own. Give your brain a break by breathing, praying, meditating, thinking of other things, or even doing something else you enjoy. Play a game. Watch a show or movie. Listen to music and dance. Read something for enjoyment. Sometimes, doing these things can help you return refreshed and renewed.

Stress

Things happen, and we’re supposed to keep going. Nevertheless, not taking time to acknowledge that something is wrong, even if we can’t do anything about it, can lurk idly in the back of our brains. Our minds trying to progress without stopping to mourn or accept can be like a computer with a large program that opens on startup and keeps running in the background, causing laggy slog. When these pop up, we can’t always shut them off completely.

They may be necessary in the grand scheme of things. But often, clicking into them and accepting that they are running in the background calms things down better than leaving them ignored. They’ll still be stuck on their intro screens if we don’t face them. Just like in life. Grief doesn’t always go away, but acknowledging and learning to grow with it can be more liberating than pretending it doesn’t exist while letting it bog down our souls. Reaching out and talking to others about it may also help. Sometimes, we just need to get things off our chest so we don’t stew in it all alone.

Fear of Failure (or Success)

If we don’t want to work, it may be that our brains have fast-forwarded to all the things that will happen as a result of the writing.

If we write, we might finish this chapter

…then, the whole manuscript…

…then, we’re going to have to edit…

…then, we’re going to have to send it to proofreaders…

…then, when we finally publish, what if a reader leaves a bad review!?

This may sound outlandish, but really reflect on your brain’s thoughts. Channel what you could be dreading. Consequences are important to consider, but with something like this, it’s good to focus on one thing at a time. If a bad review is really what you are trying to avoid, you can remind yourself that you could also get a good review and that reviews are not the end goal. Why are you writing? What is your passion? Let these things surpass any fears or doubts you may have.

Personifying Our Obstacles

Sometimes, it can be helpful to personify the things that stop us. Taking them out of ourselves and looking at them as their own being can make it easier to defeat (or even care for!) them.

Negative self-talk may feel hopeless, but envisioning it as another person talking to us might motivate us to speak up for ourselves and prove ‘them’ wrong.

We may not feel it necessary to eat (though it really is)! But if hunger were a pet, we may be more motivated to nurture it. And, sometimes, it just takes us paying attention.

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About Ossandra

Ossandra White, also known as Wordigirl, is truly a Jill of all Trades. She writes amazing books, crafts fabulous websites and branding designs, and creates worlds that rock. She'll be teaching at the Creating Creativity: Dragon Edition, virtual conference, on May 15th and 16th, 2026 and would love for you all to join her! You can find more information at http://www.mindpotential.org. Or you can contact Ossandra directly at Ossandra White | Jill of all Trades

Top Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay